


Sand Is The Color Of The Milky Way

by Pipoces



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Attempt at Humor, First years as third years, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Minor AtsuHina, Minor Canonical Character(s), No Beta read we die like men, Self-Indulgent, Stars, Summer Romance, Summer Vacation, Supernatural Elements, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, Tsukishima Kei is a Dork, it gets angst for a hot second, minor kuroyaku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pipoces/pseuds/Pipoces
Summary: "I am serious!" He was sulking. "Don't you believe me? Then let's make a deal!"Tsukishima smirked. "What kind of deal?""You give me a name and I'll hang a star wherever you want. Deal?"It was during a summer night, when Kei was just seven years old, that he met a boy who said he hung stars in the sky. That same night, he disappeared, returning only 10 years later and, apparently, only Kei remembered their meeting.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 26





	Sand Is The Color Of The Milky Way

**Author's Note:**

> it's finally december !! Time of ... heat, if you live in south america, like me. fuck winter, here we write summer fanfics at this time of year. well, english is not my native language, so forgive any mistakes. good reading!!  
> (if you're like me who like to listen to music while reading, i made a playlist on spotify! you can listen [here](url))

Sometimes Kei would lie on his bed and seek, in the confines of his mind, childhood memories that Akiteru was not in. Perhaps they did not exist, or they rarely appeared in his mind.

Not that he didn't remember anything, he had very vivid things to remember: Since he understood himself as a person, there is a tree in the back of his house, facing the sea.

Akiteru was almost a teenager, but Kei was only seven when they decided to turn that tree into a kind of secret base (not so secret, if their mother looked out of the window, she could see without difficulty), and so they built a treehouse.

Although both were attached to that house, the younger brother felt something special about it. Perhaps it was the nights he spent awake, alone with his telescope, watching the stars.

Other than that, he didn't remember much. Maybe it was because every day was pretty monotonous, nothing worth keeping.

However, in this small collection of memories, there was something that was on the board of the memory and the dream. Today, as a teenager, he says to himself that he only dreamed it, but he knows that it occupies space in his mind with the smell of sea air and the noise of sleigh bells.

In his head, he remembered a summer day.

Tsukishima was still too young to be ashamed to walk hand in hand with his mother at the market. He was not to blame: there were a lot of people, and he hated crowded places. Please give him a discount, he was only seven years old, even though his height made him look older.

Instead, he would sulk, reluctantly holding a bag of apples as if it was a punishment. He was grounded for having a tantrum earlier, because he wanted to go to the top of the mountain to see the meteor shower — his first! what if it was the last? —that night. His mother did not allow it, it was too late for him to be awake, and she had to work the next morning at the hospital.

Kei still didn't understand why this was an excuse (again, he was 7 years old), and as already explained, he had a tantrum and received a scolding. Now he was there, helping his mother with grocery shopping, like any brat in his town who didn't have enough friends to play with during the summer vacation.

Tedious, to say the least, until a sound caught his ears.

_ Clink clink clink clink! _

That's when he saw a boy, about his age, looking around, too curious to look lost, walking around the city as if it were all new. There was no sign of adults watching over him, and he looked happy and carefree.  _ I bet his parents let him watch the meteor shower, _ Kei thought, getting even more sulky.

"Kei. Let's go?" His mother called him, pulling his hand away.

He nodded, moving on to the next tent, but without taking his eyes off that strange boy.

In addition to the lack of company, the boy was notable for his strange clothes and no shoes, his feet walking patiently on the hot concrete like it was wet sand. Also, he carried a seemingly heavy blue bag that made noise like christmas sleigh bells with every step he took, and that seemed to be the only thing that mattered in the whole world for him, since he carried it extremely carefully. A lady accidentally hit the bag and the boy was startled, completely losing that relaxed posture. He seemed terrified, apologizing to the lady a million times and holding the bag in front of him, now more concerned with his surroundings.

_ Clink clink clink clink clink! _

He then disappeared into the crowd, along with the noise of the sleigh bells. A slight distress affected Kei. He wanted to see the boy, that being so different in the crowd, maybe to know what he was doing there alone.

His mother pulled him through the market that was in the middle of the square, and in a few minutes bought the last items that were missing on her list.

"Shall we go back, Kei?"

"Sure." His mother then smiled, realizing that his voice no longer seemed irritable.

So they left the market, ready to go down the hill, when Kei saw the boy again, on top of a wall that was at the lookout. His mother followed the son's gaze, then noticing the other boy.

"Friend of yours, Kei?" She always hoped that Kei would make friends at school, although it never happened.

"No. I don't know who he is."

The woman then sighed, analyzing the boy from top to bottom, realizing that he was barefoot. She then turned her head, looking for that child's parents, but he had no one.

"Kei, love, I think he's lost. Let's check on him." She then took her son to the wall, approaching the child. "Excuse me, sweetie, are you lost?"

The boy had his hand over his eyes, protecting his own view from the sun. His ears seemed to twitch when he heard the woman's voice, turning his head to her.

"No, ma'am." His sweet voice answered, and Tsukishima kept his eyes fixed on the boy's freckles. He had hair the same color as the mountains in the summer, big, shiny eyes disguised by a lazy look.

"And where are your parents?" The mother asked.

"I don't know. I'm going to meet them over there." He pointed to the beach. Tsukishima's mother did not seem to be very satisfied with the answer.

"Do you want me to take you there?"

He nodded.

"No, ma'am, I'm going to the beach a little earlier, to see a little bit of the meteor shower. It's the best place to watch it!" He smiled calmly, but Kei didn't like the answer.

"Dumb." Tsukishima said. "The best place to watch is in the mountains!"

"Kei!" His mother complained, but the boy didn't seem to care much.

He looked Tsukishima up and down, slowly studying him with his olive eyes. He didn't seem to judge, but to understand what he meant.

"No, the best place is the beach. Anyway, the mountains are too far away, I can't be there." He came down from the wall, wiping his hands on his pants. "Excuse me, I need to go." He walked away, and the mother looked apprehensive. She wondered if she should really go after the boy or not, but it was too late when he disappeared down the hills.

Everything from there looked like a big blur, and suddenly, the sky was dark, and he kind of forgot the boy he saw earlier.

Tsukishima knew that, at that time of night, there would be no one walking around the house. He ran, ran and ran outside, adrenaline bubbling through his veins. He ran so much that, when he realized, he was in the treehouse, as usual, alone. 

And the moment he turned his eyes, he was lost in the vastness of the dark sky, being torn by the rocks at high speed, reflecting their glow in the sea.

It was the first time that Kei saw a meteor in person.

_ Clink clink clink clink clink! _ He listened from afar, like it was coming to him. Firstly, he didn't even flinch, but the noise was becoming closer and closer, tempting him to look away.

Then the noise stopped.

"They're beautiful." Said a calm voice beside him. "But it will give me a lot of work."

Perhaps it was due to the gentle sound of the waves, or again, the jingle of the sleigh bells, but Kei didn't look startled. He actually  _ was _ , but wasn't able to demonstrate it. Instead, he calmly moved his head, looking at the owner of the voice.

There it was, the barefoot boy, sitting on the edge of his treehouse, swinging his legs.

"Who are you?" He asked, analyzing the boy.

"So far, nobody." He replied, without taking his eyes off the sky. "I'll be somebody in a little while. Can I answer that later?"

Tsukishima didn't know what to say. Of all the possible answers, this was definitely the most random one. Why did he speak in such a strange way?

"Don't say weird things. I want to know your name. And why are you here."

"I told you earlier today, I wanted to see the meteor shower!" The boy beamed, high-pitched voice, shaking the sleigh bells inside the bag.

"Shhhh! My mom doesn't know that I'm here!"

"Okay, neither is mine."

Kei had to take a deep breath, feeling the smell of the sea filling his nostrils

"You should go back to her. She might be worried." It was the only thing that he could think to say to the boy, in an attempt to make him get out of his house. 

"I don't have a mom."

_ Oh. _

"I'm sorry." He sighed, feeling kind of guilty.

"Don't be. I really don't have a mom, so it's not like I have someone to miss. I came from the mountains."

Confusing, to say the least. Kei wasn't good with confusing things, pragmatism was always his greatest ally and that boy, so simply, managed to break his entire mental organization.  _ Also, my mom told me not to talk to strangers, _ Kei recalled.

"You should go. This is  _ my _ treehouse."

The boy was outraged a little.

"But it's  _ not fair! _ You have the best view! Look at the moon! Look at the sea! Look at the stars! It's not fair for you to have this just for you." He looked extremely enraged, and Tsukishima was making an unusual effort to understand. What was his problem?

"The sky is the same for everyone!" He raged. "You can see it from other places."

"Not like that. And how is this house yours? Does it have your name written on it? If not, it's everyone's!"

"This place belongs to my home, and my home belongs to my family! So it's  _ my _ treehouse!"

"It is? So where's  _ your _ name?" He approached, angry, but left almost immediately, and his aggressive expression became a face of confusion. "Wait, I don't know your name. What is?"

_ Incomprehensible. Chaotic. Shifting like a meteor shower. _ That was how Tsukishima had characterized the boy.

_ Maybe that was why he couldn't stop looking. _

"Tsukishima Kei."

The boy put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. Tsukishima began to realize that his freckles were more like bright spots, a faint glimpse of gold speckled by his round face.

"Tsu-kki" He separated the syllables slowly, and then he seemed to have had an epiphany. His eyes widened. "... Like the moon! Now it makes sense!" He spoke as if it were obvious. "Why didn't you tell me before? You have a house here so you can see the moon, since it is part of you, isn't it? Wow, I wish I had a nice name like that!"

"What 's your name?"

The boy snorted.

"I already said that I am nobody. I have no name, or mother, or family. I only have the mountain and now I have the stars. And you, Tsukki!" He beamed, as if what he was saying was no big deal. This was the most bizarre thing he had ever heard. So he was a homeless boy? He should take a chance and talk to his mother ...

"Okay, I think you urgently need help." Kei stood up, extending his hand to the other boy, who promptly grabbed it. "Come with me, I'll call my mom and ..."

He smiled even more.

"Seriously! Ah, Tsukki, you are so nice! But you can't." The boy then pouted. "I have to do my job alone."

"...  _ Job? _ Do you work?" At the time, he would not have understood. As much as his mother said the contrary, the concept of working seemed very cool. Tsukishima was secretly jealous, thinking how cool it would be not to have to beg mom to buy new toys ...

"I'm going to start tonight!" He puffed out his chest proudly. Again, the little gold dots sparkled, and he became more and more fascinating. "I'll be leaving shortly. One day I'll be back, I think, but they need my help. The meteors left the sky very messy."

Ah yes. Again, he was confusing Tsukishima. How could he forget?

"...What do you work with?"

There was no smile more sincere in the world than that. Kei heard the noise of the sleigh bells, watching the boy take the bag.

"I am the one who hangs stars, and I came from the mountains!" He opened the bag, and inside it were several shiny balls, hot enough for Tsukishima to keep the urge to touch them. "I will, in a little while, help others like me, fix the lost stars."

Tsukishima frowned. Okay, that was already over the limits. Okay, he could have a unique diction, but it all seemed like big bullshit. It defied logic, even for a seven-year-old boy like him.

Don't misunderstand, Tsukishima had a vivid imagination, but if someone said something like that to his face, he would think it was a great joke. Never, in a thousand years, would anyone speak this seriously.

Maybe he should call his mother to check on this boy.

"You imagine too many things. I almost believed you were working for real!"

The boy didn't seem to like what he said.

"I am serious!" He was sulking. "Don't you believe me? Then let's make a deal!"

Tsukishima smirked. "What kind of deal?"

"You give me a name and I'll hang a star wherever you want. Deal?"

Kei started to ponder. Should he really get carried away by that stranger's imagination? 

"If I do that, will you be leaving?"

"I'm leaving shortly. Give me a name before I go."

Sighing, Tsukishima walked around the tree house, where he had an enormous amount of books that he used both to read and to consult his homework, when he wanted to go up and do the chores there.

Then he opened a math book,  _ there are always a lot of names there _ , he thought. He flipped through the pages, closing the book again. He needed a north to start this.

"How do you want your name?"

"Cool like yours, Tsukki! Like the moon! Should I do something with the stars? Or the mountains?" 

He chattered, sitting next to the taller boy, who was passing through the pages and trying to ignore what the other boy was saying. "... Tsukishima is my last name. If you want something with the mountains, how about ... Yamaguchi? It means 'mountain entrance'."

Yamaguchi — now baptized before the lord — smiled from ear to ear, eyes curving like two half moons and his freckles shining brightly as if they were the very stars he said to hang. He seemed so grateful that Tsukishima almost believed it was true.

"Tsukki! That name is perfect!" The boy let a laugh bubble up his throat, and Tsukki smiled. "I loved it!" He giggled. "You want to know something? To prove that I'm going to keep my promise, my first name is going to be Tadashi. They say it means loyalty, right? Then I'll be loyal to the end."

Then he stood, looking at the sky. The meteor shower was over, and now the sky was clear. "Tsukki, come here! Choose a place for me to put your star."

Kei stood up too, standing beside him, scanning the skies. 

_ This game was getting kind of fun. _

"If the moon is part of who I am, or whatever, my star should be close to it. Right above it, so that when people look at the star, they have no doubt that it belongs to the moon."

Yamaguchi breathed a laugh.

"Great choice, Tsukki. I'll remember that." He looked at the sky, one single eye closed and palms up, as if he was taking measurements. "Perfect. So it's my time to leave."

Tadashi then closed the bag and placed it on his shoulder, listening to the sound of several sleigh bells.

"Hey. You don't have a home, do you? Stay here." He said. It wasn't exactly a friendly proposal, he definitely thought Yamaguchi was the craziest person he had ever met, and as interesting as he might be, he wasn't going to let a homeless boy wander around talking nonsense to strangers.

"No, no, everything will be fine, I promise. Want to see?"

"Hmm ..."

_ Clink clink clink clink clink! _

And so, Yamaguchi approached the edge of the treehouse, took a deep breath, letting his freckles shine in perfect splendor.

"I will not forget the promise, Tsukki." He smiled. "Let's stargaze when I get back? "

It seemed that time had stopped for a few seconds, and Tsukishima felt that perhaps it was not right to let the boy go, trying to muster the courage to ask him to stay.

Instead, Kei nodded, and Tadashi smiled, nodding back.

And so he jumped.

Tsukishima immediately went after him, trying to catch his hand. It was too late, Tadashi disappeared to the ground, and a star shaped glow went up to the skies.

Tsukishima did not have the courage to leave the treehouse that night, and spent the whole morning crying when his mother came to scold him.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, so beautiful that it looked like a nightmare.

* * *

**10 years later**

* * *

_ He was going to kill Hinata Shoyo. _

He swore,  _ he swore to God _ , that he was going to kill this boy. Ah, how he wanted to put his hands on that tiny little throat and pop that tangerine head on the wall-

"Tsukishima-kun! Sorry, please!" Yachi pleaded, keeping her hands together in a sign of clear regret, although it was not her fault. "I'm really sorry, I tried to stop it, but he's too fast!"

Okay, maybe he wouldn't kill Hinata, because he was going to make Yachi cry, which had the moral equivalent of kicking a puppy, so for her, he wouldn't kill Hinata.

Instead he just pitched the bridge of his nose, then rubbing his eyes and picking up the glasses that were on the headboard.

"Hinata. You have to have a good explanation for this. Like, a really good one, you asshole."

Shoyo crossed his arms, looking equally upset.

"I came here to make sure you would keep your promise!" He proclaimed, looking at Tsukishima in a defiant look.

"Waking up early in the morning was not part of the deal."

"But you were sleeping when I got here! And it's not  _ that _ early, if I hadn't shown up, you would be late for school."

A fact that he couldn't deny. Tsukishima stayed at least half the night awake, overthinking while looking at his ceiling, and when his alarm went off, he thought it would be worth a five minute nap, which turned into ten, and then fifteen,  _ twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two ... _ Until Hinata entered his room pulling the pillow he had under his head, and then placing it on top, slapping it several times and calling his name too loud to wake him up, while Yachi tried to pull the boy away (to no avail).

" _ Tch _ ."

The two then went to the kitchen, promising to make Tsukishima toast to eat on the way to school (" _ Have you thought about it, Yacchan? Tsukishima will look like those shoujo manga protagonists with toast in his mouth! _ " He heard Hinata say when he left the room), while he was going to prepare himself for the day.

As much as he wanted to take a cold shower to distract his thoughts — and cool his body, summer was reaching its peak and it was very hot — Hinata was right about him being late, so he didn't take long. Within minutes, he was at the entrance to the house, climbing on the old and rusty bicycle that used to belong to Akiteru.

"I still don't understand why you needed to come to my house to make sure I was going to keep my promise." He complained, starting to pedal.

"Because you are a  _ horrible _ person, Tsukishima. You were going to make up an excuse that you forgot your wallet or something." Hinata replied, pedaling fast enough to catch up.

At the beginning of the year, Hinata ended up infecting everyone with the idea that this was going to be their last year of high school and that this meant that they should make the most of it, since they would take separate courses when the school finally ended. Tsukishima and Yachi wanted to go to university in big cities, and Kageyama had several volleyball teams wanting to escort him, and, most of all, Hinata, who wanted to play beach volleyball on the other side of the world.

Tsukishima didn't want to admit it, but he was going to miss Shrimpy, or the King, and even if Yachi was going to be the closest person, it wasn't like they were going to see each other every day, so this year, he decided to enjoy more the little things in life,  _ carpe diem _ and that kind of shit he always thought was stupid.

That's where the bet comes in, made in the middle of the semester, when Hinata and Kageyama's tests scores were extremely below average. Wasn't the plan to enjoy it more? The vacations were the ideal time for this, so if they were taking extra classes, they would not hang out as they pleased. 

Tsukishima, discrediting their success, said that on the last day of school, he would buy two pots of ice cream, that one liter type, one for each, if they managed to get enough grades to pass the semester.

Some teasing here and there (and endless afternoons of study sessions) and, contrary to not only Kei but all the expectations of the school faculty, they passed the semester and were free from supplementary classes.

"I always keep my promises, okay? Don't choose anything too expensive, I don't have the money for it." He then put the toast in his mouth, chewing quickly to keep it from falling.

" _ Yes sir _ !" He then accelerated the bike, picking up speed to climb the slope.

Tsukishima watches their backs — Yachi was standing on the back of Shoyo's bike — and wondered what his life had become like: in his first year of high school, he never imagined that he would get along with so many people. It was a select group of 4 friends, who teased each other too much and could end up in a disastrous fight at any time, but it never happened, and Kei was grateful, even if he hid it.

He took a deep breath, smelling the beach, and then he picked up the pace, trying to keep up with the same speed as Hinata on the steep slopes that they — who lived in the lower part of the city — had to endure to go to school.

It was a tiring journey, but it was short. Within 5 minutes they were on the school bike rack, walking to the entrance.

"Gah! I thought I got there before Kageyama! Damn it!" Complained Hinata, observing Kageyama putting his shoes in his locker.

"It's 156 victories for me, and 152 for you." He finished putting on his school shoes, as impassive as ever. "Good Morning."

"Good morning, Kageyama-kun!" Yachi-san greeted him, voice sweet and high-pitched as always, going to her locker to change shoes.

The procedure was the same, methodical: they changed their shoes in the locks in front of the school in silence, and then each went to the classrooms, talking. Today was one of the rare days that Kageyama started a conversation.

"I was running on the mountain road yesterday afternoon. Someone moved into that house at the entrance to the third kilometer." He announced, indifferent.

"The one who's been unoccupied forever?" Asked Yachi. "Did you see who is living there now?"

He nodded. "There were two people. A woman and a boy, like, he looked like a teenager too. I think the woman was his mother."

"Woah!" Hinata blurts out "So maybe he will transfer to our school next semester? Kageyama, what was he like?"

Hinata's shrill voice seems to catch the attention of the other students in the hall, and Tsukishima rolls his eyes.

"It's not like he has other schools here. And we don't know if he's a high school student, anyway."

Hinata frowns, dissatisfied with the answer, but says nothing, as Tsukishima was right. The city was not large enough to have more than one school.

"He was tall." Kageyama returned his attention to himself. "Good height to play volleyball."

Yachi laughs. "Kageyama, do you measure people to see if they can play volleyball or not?"

"You never know when I can find a challenger." He shrugs. "Shrimpy here is an exception."

"Hey! Stupidyama, I challenge you! Me and you, on the beach, after classes!" He jumped up and ran, going to room 3-2.

"You jerk!" Kageyama went after him, even though he studied in room 3-1. "You know I don't know how to play on the sand!  _ Not yet _ !"

What was left for Tsukishima was to sigh, perhaps relieved that he would spend the rest of the morning without getting involved with their antics. Perhaps this monotony of classes was what kept him from being overwhelmed with so much excitement, something that after 3 years, he still has not got used to it.

"Tsukishima-kun, I'm going to my classroom. Have a good class!" Yachi said goodbye, going to classroom 3-5.

"Have a good class."

A boy in the mountains, right? Those words made his mouth taste a little bitter.

* * *

"We'll stay out here." Kageyama announced, sitting on the front sidewalk of the convenience store together with Yachi "Hinata will be here shortly, he went to the market to buy plastic spoons."

"Wouldn't it be easier for us to go to a real ice cream shop?" Tsukishima replied, hating the situation. Of all places, did it have to be  _ that _ convenience store?

"No. Now go quickly, and buy me vanilla ice cream. Hinata asked for mint chocolate."

Tsukishima sighed. Of course Hinata was going to get the worst ice cream flavour.

_ Ding!  _ The bell at the door rang when he entered the store.

"Welcome! Ah! Tsukki!" Called the dragged, laid-back voice. Kuroo Tetsuro was a big pain in the ass, but he was also the store clerk. "I heard that your classes are over today! Let's hang out when my shift is over, okay? I'll text Bokuto right now ..." He rested his feet on the counter, relaxed.

"Do not call me like that." He didn't even look at Kuroo, just walked towards the store's refrigerators, looking for ice cream.

"That way you break my heart!" Dramatically he put his hand on his chest, squeezing the fabric of his shirt. He could have been two years older than Tsukishima, but he was still a goof...

He rolled his eyes. Vanilla, the most dull flavor, and mint chocolate, which tasted like toothpaste. Obviously they would be in the lowest part of the refrigerator, where no one has the patience to bend over and pick up, especially someone tall like Kei. He sighed, slamming the refrigerator door open and ...

"Ouch!" Said a voice. It was kind of naive, so it certainly couldn't be Kuroo.  _ Shit, I slammed the refrigerator door on someone! _ Tsukishima thought, turning to apologize to the person.

"I'm so-" But he couldn't complete the sentence, because there in front of him was a boy, but not just any boy. 

He was definitely taller, definitely  _ older _ . The noisy bag was replaced by a packet of chips and he had sandals on his feet, instead of being barefoot, but the freckles spread across his skin, his lazy look, his hair the same color as the mountains in the summer ... It was ...

"Hey! Tsukki! Stop beating my customers! Especially at Yamaguchi, he's new in town!" Kuroo got up from the counter, going to the other boy, looking at Kei with a disapproving look. "Yamaguchi, I promise you, that's not how his mother and I taught him. Forgive Tsukki, he's just a boy who doesn't know what to do ..."

Yamaguchi looked at Kuroo, and then looked at Tsukki again, a little uncertain. Kei didn't know how to answer, he was completely paralyzed.

"Eh ... It's okay, really! It was nothing and I get startled easily ..." He explained, a little apologetic. "Are you alright?"

Tsukishima opened his mouth to speak, but the words did not come out. He pulled in the air, trying to start over. Okay, now it would work.

"Sorry ..." He closed the refrigerator door carefully, trying to not start shaking. "I think I saw you in my dreams?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Eh?!"

Kuroo choked on his own laugh.

"No! Wait, sorry!" He panicked. "I! I can explain! First, I'm sorry for hitting your forehead with the refrigerator door! It wasn't on purpose, I wasn't paying attention!" He flushed immediately.  _ Tsukishima Kei, shut up _ , he said to himself. Talking like that, disorderly, was not typical of him, but there was no way he could stop, he had already gone too far at that point.

"And I!  _ Argh! _ " He continued, intelligently. "Sorry to say strange things. It was impulse, and I definitely wasn't trying to hit on you, if that's what you understood, and if that's not the case, that's okay, but I wanted to make it clear that ..."

And Yamaguchi laughed out loud at that kind of tiny tears that come out of his face, making Kei end his own torture just to hear the angelic giggle. It was very similar to 10 years ago ...

"You're funny!" He sighed his last laugh, but the silly smile still remained on his face. "Is your name Tsukki? Mine is Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi Tadashi. I'm new to the city, and I live in the mountains!"

Yamaguchi Tadashi ... No ... It had to be a dream.

"Tsukki, did you just pinch yourself?" Asked Kuroo, returning to the counter.

"Tsukishima. Tsukishima Kei." He held out his hand, still not sure what to do. Maybe if he pretended it was okay, he wouldn't humiliate himself any further. But which teenager uses handshakes? It doesn't matter much, Yamaguchi squeezed them, and, oh,  _ how soft they were... _ "I live near the beach."

His face lit up, as if it were possible.

"Close to the beach? Ah, how amazing! I wanted to live near the beach, it's the best place to see the stars!" He replied, enthusiastic.

It was too much the same to be true. Tsukishima wanted to question, to know what the hell he was doing there, and why he was acting like they didn't know each other, but before he could do anything, Kuroo interrupted.

"Tsukki's house is the best place to see the stars!" He exclaimed. "He even has a telescope and stuff. Very good, especially now in the summer, that the skies are clear."

"Really? Aw, man, I've always wanted a telescope! Seeing the stars up close, it must be so beautiful ..."

"Tsukki, be polite and invite Yamaguchi to use your telescope, so that he knows how beautiful the sky is in our city."

Tadashi's dreamy features soon disappeared, being overcome by a little worry. "No! You don't have to, seriously! I don't want to be a nuisance to Tsukki, mainly because we just met!"

"But you don't know anyone in town, do you? And you must be his age, you go to school when the vacations are over, right?"

He nodded, sheepishly. "Third year, Kuroo-san."

"You see! It's the same year as Tsukki."

Tadashi looked at him a little uncomfortably. There was a very small possibility that he really wanted to, but what could Tsukishima do? Push him into this would only make him look like a weirdo. But would he have a chance to speak to Yamaguchi again?

"Leave him alone, Kuroo." Tsukishima complained, opening the refrigerator again and taking the two pots of ice cream. "But if you  _ want _ , Yamaguchi ..." He stood up, going to the counter. "I can call you that, can't I?"

Tadashi nodded, a bit nervous. "Of course! No problem!"

"If you want to, Yamaguchi, you wouldn't be a bother." He closed his mouth, slightly regretting it.  _ What would he think? And why did Kei care so much? _

"R-really?" Tadashi stammered, trying to contain his smile. "I really can?"

"You're new in the town, aren't you? It must be boring to be alone." 

The boy beamed. "Thank you, Tsukki!" He clenched his fists excitedly, as a child would. "Can I get your phone number then? I mean, we live a little far and ..."

"Sure." He took the phone out of his pocket, creating a new contact. Timidly, Yamaguchi picked up his cell phone, typing in his number quickly, and then handing it back.

"I ... I need to go! My mom will be worried if I spend a lot of time outside, since I don't know the city. Of course I can spend more time outside, but well, I don't know how to walk around yet and .. . I'm talking too much, right? " Tsukishima didn't move an inch, but Yamaguchi went on, "Er ... Tsukki, can you text me later? If you want, of course! I won't be upset if you're doing this out of kindness or something. I don't- "

"Yamaguchi." He interrupted. "I'll send a message when I get home."

Tadashi smiled in relief. "Then I'm on my way. Bye, Kuroo-san! Bye Tsukki!" And then he left the store, walking quietly down the street, while Tsukishima waved like an idiot.

"Dude, what kind of disaster was that?" Kuroo scanned the ice creams, getting the money before he could say the amount.

"Shut up. It's complicated ..." He snorted, while the cashier opened the cash register to get change.

"That's gay, Tsukishima."

"Yaku-san is literally your boyfriend." He crossed his arms. "What's your deal?"

Kuroo laughed.

"Sometimes, people choose to be gay and homophobic." He shrugged. "Which is not the case, since I helped you get a cute guy's number. You should be grateful."

"Hmm, sure." He picked up the ice cream, now in the bag at the convenience store. "Bye, Kuroo-san. Tell Yaku-san that I said hi."

"Sure, sure!" Kuroo's hyena laugh was audible even when he left the store, drawing the attention of the trio sitting on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Stupidshima." Hinata stood up, crossing her arms. "Why did it take so long? We've been like, years, waiting here. Seriously, we've waited so long that we've grown old. Poor little Kageyama's bones can't take any more! How are we going to get him off the sidewalk?"

"Eehh?" Kageyama stood up suddenly, angry. "My bones are  _ sooo _ much better than yours. Didn't you know? Milk has calcium, and I drink milk  _ every single day _ ."

"Is not fair!"

Yachi laughed. "But it's really late. What do you think about going over to my house and watching a movie? I have a lot of old DVDs!"

"It's a great idea, Yachi-san!" Said Hinata. "We are going back by the beach boardwalk."

Everyone agreed. The boardwalk was literally the best place in the city, especially in the summer. It had a pier with an amusement park, a patio full of food trucks and craft stalls, as well as restaurants that made food that delighted the passers-by just by the smell. Yachi lived far from the center, but the boardwalk still led to her home. This was an advantage, as as they moved away from the most popular areas, they could also enjoy the beach in its natural state, listening to the sound of the waves breaking and the salty smell of the water.

They strolled along the colored tiles on the boardwalk, looking at the floor, being careful to always step on the whites, never on the blacks, as the children played. Even Tsukishima allowed himself to play a little, even if it wasn't in the flashy way of the other three. Hinata even managed to skip with the bike in hand.

"Kageyama! You stepped on black! Ha, it's 153 victories for me." He laughed, being cursed by Tobio, who was still winning on this bizarre score they had.

"Hey, guys, look!" Yachi pointed to the sky. "The moon!"

The sky was pastel blue, fading out on the horizon in a bright orange tone. The sun kissed the sea, but that wasn't the best part of the scenario: The moon was there to greet them, and little by little, the stars too. Kei smiled.

"Guys, I don't know if it's because I'm an air-head, but ..." Yachi didn't take her eyes off the sky. "Has there always been a star there,  _ above the moon? _ "

* * *

Tsukishima waited a considerable time to text Yamaguchi. Obviously, he wouldn't leave the boy unanswered for long, mainly because he seemed to be the kind who got nervous easily — unlike the boy 10 years ago, but he wanted to get this out of his thoughts as soon as possible — but he wouldn't text so early and look desperate. The timing was ideal and calculated, and when everyone was too focused on the film to realize that Tsukishima was using his phone, he took it out of his pocket, looking for his contact.

Kei had to suppress a chuckle, but almost failed: the contact was saved as  _ Yamaguchi (∵ᵕᴗᵕ∵) _ , kaomoji and all. How did he manage to put this so fast? Tsukishima doesn't even have a kaomoji keyboard.

He opened the chat, starting to type.

_ Hi, this is Tsukishima _

Yeah, it looked like a good start. Within seconds, the typing icon appeared below his profile.

**Yamaguchi (∵ᵕᴗᵕ∵):**

Tsukki !!

I was wondering if you would really text me

I'm happy!!!

I'll save your contact as Tsukki (⌐▨_▨) ok?

Tsukishima grinned.

**Tsukki (⌐▨_▨):**

Whatever

So, what day do you think we should stargaze?

Tsukishima's heart was pounding. He thought that what happened was just a delusion, and he was overthinking too much. Perhaps the  _ star hanger _ never existed, and there were many freckled people out there with undefined hair color between green, brown and black, right? In the end, Yamaguchi was a boy just like him, he couldn't be the fruit of something he imagined at the age of seven.

"Tsukishima, pay attention to the movie." Complained Kageyama, making everyone look at him. "You chose to see this one."

Yachi sighed. "Leave him alone, he may be talking to his mother or something." She then filled her small hands with popcorn, putting everything in her mouth at once.

"Are you talking to your mom, Tsukishima? Let me say hi to her!" Hinata practically screams, taking the phone from Kei's hand without ceremony. "Hey,  _ this isn't your mom _ . Who is Yamaguchi? Wait, is this a kaomoji?"

Both Kageyama and Yachi widened their eyes, watching the pale skin of Tsukishima's cheeks being tinted with a light pink.

"Give me back my phone." He said, taking the phone back.

**Yamaguchi (∵ᵕᴗᵕ∵):**

I'm still fixing some things from the move

Is it okay if we hang out like, in a couple of days?

"Guys! Tsukishima is texting  _ a guy! _ That's why you took so long in the convenience store earlier?" Shoyo approaches again, trying to look at the messages before Kei stops him again. "I thought you were going to die a virgin, Tsukishima! It's a historic day for our community!"

And so the movie session became an interrogation session — To be honest, it was more Tsukishima dodging all the questions while the others tried to get him to speak.

_ "Where is he from?" _

_ "Does he play volleyball?" _

_ "Did you get his number as that jerk you are?" _

Kei wanted to throw himself out of the window.

"All right!" Yachi got up from the couch, excited. "We will help you with that Yamaguchi guy."

Tsukishima lifts a skeptical eyebrow, not really amused with the direction this was taking. "I don't need help, I met the guy today. I have no interest in him-" he stops when Hitoka shushes him.

"I'm not finished. But before that, let's find out if he is worthy of you."

Hinata chippers a laugh. "It is easier to know that Tsukishima is worthy of him!"

"Hey, if he's going to live here, then it would be nice if he made some friends, right?" She puts her hands on her hips, grinning widely. "Let's ask him out. Tsukishima-kun! It's a great idea!"

Both Kageyama and Hinata agree, too excited about a person they didn't know. But Tsukishima felt compelled to accept, after all, inside,  _ really inside _ , he wanted to meet Yamaguchi.

As always, he sighed.

**Tsukki (⌐▨_▨):**

Uuh, change of plans, I think (?)

My friends found out about you

Are you free on friday?

* * *

There was an amusement park on the pier, which was full of tourists at this time of year. Not that it was something incredible, but it had a ferris wheel and a medium-sized rollercoaster, in addition to other smaller things that did the duty of amusement park —  _ Amuse _ — even if all the attractions were of dubious quality. This fact was what gave the place the feeling of uniqueness, especially when they were meeting new people: Trusting that the person next to you would hold you if any of the rusty safety equipment broke was a real test of courage.

"Defines character." Kageyama explained, biting a popsicle with all his might, to everyone's horror.

The sky couldn't be more blue and clear, without even a cloud to protect them from the sun. This did not mean it was too hot, the cool sea breeze made the whole atmosphere extremely comfortable.

_ Or at least it was meant to be. _

The plan was to wait on a bench, like normal people, and talk like,  _ stressing _ , normal people.

This worked for like 5 minutes, two of which Kageyama was explaining about how going to the amusement park could define someone's personality. Three minutes of peace, until Hinata thought it would be a good idea to feed the seagulls with popcorn.

"You know you're going to attract more than one seagull, don't you?" Yachi asked, a little unsure.

"Do not worry!" Hinata exclaimed, holding a popcorn aloft, waiting for one of the birds to catch. "I will tame the seagulls! They will be my army, get ready, Kageyama!" And a seagull came down from its flight, eating popcorn and pecking Shoyo's fingers in the process.

From then on, it was just like Yachi said: a flurry of wild seagulls fighting for food — Tsukishima made sure that this was narrated in his own mind as if it were an episode of Animal Planet — while Hinata tried to save the popcorn, dropping some on the floor. 

Hitoka hid behind Tsukishima, as if he were going to solve something, screaming in pure horror, and Kageyama had apparently achieved his nemesis from the animal kingdom when one of the seagulls started flying in his face.

Tsukishima wanted to run, incapacitated by Yachi behind him, holding his shirt tightly. Still looking for a chance to escape, he looked to the side, towards the boardwalk, meeting a pair of olive eyes, in a kind of awestruck, trying to decipher what the hell was going on. Tsukishima gave Yamaguchi a forced smile, in a clear cry for help, and the other boy choked on his own laughter, putting his hand over his mouth to hide it.

Like a divine intervention, Yamaguchi's laugh seemed to part the skies, or simply Hinata had perfect timing to drop the bag of popcorn and drive away all the seagulls, making peace return.

"That was the most intense thing I've ever done in my life." Hinata took a deep breath, trying to recover oxygen. "I will never be able to look at a seagull again. They can  _ smell _ my fear."

"You're an idiot." Muttered Tsukishima, trying to hide his shame.

Kageyama was fixing his shirt, which was wrinkled by the fight he had a few seconds ago, and looked to the side, noticing Tadashi's presence.

"Hey, the guy from kilometer three."

Grinning lightly, Yamaguchi waved, approaching slowly.

"I think that's me. Yamaguchi Tadashi, I live at kilometer three. Your fight with the seagull was incredible."

Tobio shrugged, but was flattered. "Kageyama Tobio. The seagull was an enemy of respect. It had every chance to fly and shit on my head,  _ but it didn't _ . It was a man to man fight — apart from the fact that it was a bird."

Yamaguchi laughed, and Tsukishima was visibly upset,  _ did he laugh at everything? _ He thought, running his hands through his hair.

"I swear that this kind of thing doesn't happen much." Tsukishima's telling him. "But it's good to take it as a warning."

Tadashi nods, lips curved in a smile. "No problem. It's a pleasure to meet you!" He waved, maybe too enthusiastic, and everyone imeditially knew that calling him today was a great choice.

Yamaguchi mixed with the group as if he had been there for years, despite the slight shyness, which in reality seemed more of a charm than something that would get in the way. 

He was the balance that the quartet sometimes lacked: excited enough to handle Hinata and Kageyama, but collected enough to talk to Yachi and Tsukishima calmly, the way they liked it.

That alone was enough to win everyone's sympathy. In the late afternoon, when the sun was setting, and he had already gone on practically all possible rides, some more than once, until the moment the adrenaline was too high and they had to stop before someone puked, or like, had a heart attack or something terrifying like that.

"So, Yamaguchi-kun, where did you come from?" Hitoka asked, leaning against the railings of the pier as they watched the freak duo play in the ring-playing tent.

"I'm from this town! I used to live in the mountains as well." He explained, making Tsukishima swallow hard. "But I moved when I was very young. I was ... seven, I guess? Honestly, I don't remember much about it."

"It happens! And a lot has changed too, so I think it makes sense that you don't recognize it." She smiled, raising her thumbs to Shoyo who had just won the top prize in the tent, the latter being again challenged by Tobio to a rematch.

"A lot has changed." Kei looked deeply into Tadashi's eyes, perhaps even impulsively. "But some things remain the same. You must remember at least something."

Tadashi didn't answer, just turned, leaning his elbows on the railing and looking at the sea, and then at the sky.

"I think I remember everything that is important." He breathed, letting his hair get messy by the afternoon breeze.

The sun, setting on the horizon, made an outline of a halo on their heads. Probably Yachi was the one who looked the most ethereal, with golden hair and all that, but Yamaguchi's hair created a nice contrast too.

_ It is definitely green. Like the mountains _ . He found Tsukishima, who was examining the thin strands, probably soft to the touch. Maybe crazy people are happier, because I really want to touch his hair, but it would be crazy if I did that.

It would be the ideal time for a confession of love, perhaps. Like, he was there being all pretty in the most amazing place in town, smiling for no reason and looking at the horizon, and all the cinematic nonsense, but Tsukishima didn't love him — didn't even like him, in that context. 

But if he ever liked him, he would bring Tadashi there again, and confess there, to be rejected and have a funny story to tell later.

He shook his head, trying to chase away the thoughts.

_ I'm just confused by the dream _ , he stated.

"We were kicked out of the ring tent—" Kageyama announced, frowning while holding several plushies in his hands. "—Because we were too good. Anyway, Yachi, quick pick: Teddy bear or unicorn?"

* * *

For a season where the days were longer, the night came much faster than they expected. Soon, Kageyama had to take his bus to go home, since he lived a little further away, and Hinata was going to give Yachi a bicycle ride.

"Yamaguchi-kun! It was nice to meet you today!" Hitoka got on the bike, and still standing, waved to the other two boys who were still on the boardwalk, who were waving back.

"Yeah!" Shouted Hinata. "Let's see each other more often!"

So, they disappeared down the street, and Tsukishima was ready to do the same, when he realized that Yamaguchi was staring at him.

"Are they dating or something?" Tadashi asked, a little bit insecure. "I mean, they seem close."

Tsukishima frowned. "No. I mean, they're close and stuff, but not in that way. Boys aren't exactly Yachi's thing." 

Tadashi widened his eyes. "Oh, sorry. To be honest, you all seem very close, and I'm not used to being so close in a context other than, you know... Dating."

"It's fine." Kei reassured. "But no one's dating. What? Are you interested in one of them?" He teased, smirking a little. 

"Nope." Yamaguchi said calmly, so sure that it was actually believable, so Tsukishima let it pass, a little relieved.

They went silent, just staring at each other for a while, until Kei decided to talk.

"Uh, I think we say goodbye now, don't we?"

Tadashi's cheeks went slightly pink, and he played with his fingers.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I wanted to walk on the beach for a while, but ..." He swallowed. "I'm afraid of getting lost. Would it be a nuisance?"

Tsukishima stopped for a few seconds, wondering if that was the best choice.

Well, you decided that you would enjoy the last year of school better, he said.

He shook his head. "Not at all. Just don't get very far."

Tadashi beamed.

"We better take off our shoes, right? To not make it get dirty with sand." Yamaguchi spoke, taking off his sandals before Kei could say anything, when they reached the part of the boardwalk that divided the concrete and sand.

Barefoot, Yamaguchi looked much more like that dream from 10 years ago, but Tsukishima declined to admit it, discounting the anger of his own thought in the process of untying his tennis laces, doing it too aggressively.

"Let's go." He announced, holding the sneakers with his fingers, watching Yamaguchi do the same with his sandals.

The pale sand in the moonlight grew darker as it approached the sea, and that part below, and Yamaguchi chose to walk at the shore. 

They walked in silence, numb by the salt air. From a distance, it was possible to listen to the music of a party that was happening in one of the houses that were nearby, but it was not a loud and unpleasant sound, in fact, it was the type of music that matched the rest of the city.

"Tsukki, do you know anything about constellations?" Yamaguchi broke the silence, taking his eyes off the sky to look at Kei.

"Not much. Why?"

"You have a telescope. I thought you liked these things." He realized, walking a little faster, getting ahead of Tsukishima.

The tiny waves wet his feet, which carelessly stepped on the sand, without worrying about hurting himself with stones or shells. Not that he was getting hurt, to tell the truth, he walked on it like soft grass.

_ Ah, so many memories. _

"Do you have a favorite constellation?" The melodious voice asked.

"Honestly, no. Orion is cool, I guess, Sirius too, I never stopped to think too much." He admitted, not wanting to appear too disinterested.

_ Stay, stay here. Don't disappear, like in my dreams. _

"Hmmm ..." He spun on the sand, turning to Kei. "I don't have a favorite either. There's a lot in the world, I can't be biased with anything." He turned again, following his path, now walking slowly to walk beside Kei, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Tadashi opened and closed his mouth slightly, very little, and seemed to be reflecting on something.

"I ..." He stopped, looking up at the sky again. "I like that star over there." He pointed up, a little hesitantly.

"Which one?" Tsukishima asked.

"That one. Above the moon. The star looks like it belongs to the moon, doesn't it? I think so. Sorry if it sounds too weird."

"No, no problem. Kind of romantic for my taste, but it makes sense, I guess."

Tsukishima did not comment, but swore he saw Yamaguchi's freckles shine like gold for a brief second.

**Author's Note:**

> ok, i will confess that i am a little anxious posting this first chapter, this fic is a wrap of things that i do in the summer and that the quarantine took away from me, and i am 100% stressed with all the year end obligations etc, so I wrote this to cope. I hope you enjoyed!!! kudos and comments are always very welcome


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